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Homebuyer Education Basics

ARE YOU READY TO BECOME A HOMEOWNER?

Genworth FREE Homebuyer Education Online Course

Throught this self-paced online course, you will learn about the home loan process, tips on how to save for mortgage payments, and home maintenance planning. After completing the course assessment, a Certificate of Completion will be sent via email directly to you.

Learn the basics of how a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher can be used for the Homeownership Option and help you with buying your own home. Utilization of HCV can increase eligibility and stabilize budget for qualifying buyers with participating lenders, but it does require some extra steps.

Budget and Credit Basics for Homeownership:

Whether you are considering buying a home, or ready to take the plunge, this workshop can give you a basic understanding of what lenders will be looking for and ways to make sure you can maximize your options within your available time-frame.

Recognizing Loan Documents:

There are a variety of documents one sees when buying a home between loan application and closing. This workshop will help you take a look at the most common ones so that they are not so mysterious when they are presented to you throughout the process.

Fair Housing for Homeowners

Although fair housing and discrimination issues are more common regionally for renters than for buyers, there are still issues to be aware of. Learn what to look for and how to file a complaint should the need arise.

Basics of Homebuyer Education:

Gain an overview of the home buying process from before you even think to begin until long after closing. This workshop touches on a little of everything, including terms, historical aspects, dangers and motivating factors. This is the Keystone course for our First Time Homebuyer Education Certificate, but even those who do not need the certificate are encouraged to attend before buying your next home. This course usually lasts about two hours, but you are encouraged to plan for additional time. It covers a lot of information and frequently attracts guest professionals willing and able to answer questions on a variety of subjects.

First Time Homebuyer Certification

Northwestern Regional Housing Authority currently offers the First Time Homebuyer Education Certificate in two fashions.

Face-to-face: This is historically the most common method, and we currently are able to offer this method for free. The Keystone of the series is Basics of Homebuyer Education, which is offered roughly four times a year. Attendance of this workshop plus at least one pre-purchase counseling session with one of our counselors locks in 4 of the required 8 hours of credit required. Candidates choose at least two different secondary workshops to earn the other 4 credit hours.

Recently, a money management course was made available by our online course provider that covers much the same information as our Budget and Credit Basics workshop. The online course does maintain a cost but can be substituted for credit in lieu of Budget and Credit Basics. It also offers its own certificate for those seeking recognition for accomplishing goals for other programs. Confirm with your program coordinator that the course will meet the intent of your specific goals before you begin.

eHome Amercia

Online: Growing in popularity, particularly in outlying areas which we serve, we offer an online version of the course hosted by eHome America. This course carries a cost factor that is still more efficient for many folks than taking time away from work or multiple driving trips to workshop locations. It can be stopped and started as often as needed from any internet connection at any time. Although you lose the peer interaction of group sessions, you gain a variety of quizzes and the ability to go back and review the sections that you wish to spend more time on or simply revisit before key steps along the way. This workshop provides the full 8 credit hours needed to print the certificate and offers immediate access to the certificate upon completion.

We now offer an online opportunity to take this course in conjunction with eHome America!

The course fee online is $99, and can be completed at your convenience from any internet connected computer. You will be required to attend a single one-on-one counseling session (can be via telephone) to obtain a certificate.

ARE YOU READY TO BECOME A HOMEOWNER?

Annual Plan

The Annual Plan is approved by NRHA's Board of Trustees with input opportunity from assisted residents, Resident Advisory Boards, the public and from NRHA staff. The PHA Plan PDF for the period beginning 7/1/2016 is attached. Comments are welcome and will be considered as updates are made. Send comments directly to info@nwrha.com or P.O. Box 2510, Boone, NC 28607.